It's just the Merlot talking
by catey123
Summary: Halloween fic, more on the fluffy side this time, with angsty overtones to begin with. Brenda/Flynn pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Brenda readied for the costume party, having decided to dress in a bobbysoxers outfit, a poodle skirt and blouse, scarf around her neck. She was as ready as she was going to be for this Halloween party. She didn't have much choice but to attend, Chief Delk was hosting it, to be held at his place. From the sounds of it, it was going to be huge. As Chief of Police, Delk knew lots of people and lots of people had to be invited to the party. It was going to be huge.

Somehow, her entire team had ended up invited. Brenda figured it was because Delk was big on the unit, it was doing its job, running smoothly as ever. She also figured that because he was still after her to someday being his second in command, that he was being exceptionally nice to her. Brenda kept putting him off though, managing to save Will's job for him for a while longer. Will had no idea that Brenda was helping him this way though.

As she put on the last of her makeup, put her hair up in a ponytail, she fretted about the party. She really did not want to go. Since Fritz and her had split a couple of months ago, Brenda had not been out much socially. And she still hadn't told anyone that they had split. In fact, she was waiting for Lt. Flynn to pick her to take her to the Halloween party, having told him that Fritz was working and couldn't make it. He'd agreed, not wanting to go to this party any more than she did, and he hadn't bothered to get a date. She had no idea what he'd be dressed as, so she was curious about that.

Walking into the living room, she flopped on to the couch, and Joel crawled up in her lap. She absentmindedly petted his soft fur, and before she knew it, the doorbell rang. She got up, grabbed a small clutch and was ready to go. Opening the door, Lt. Flynn stood there, dressed as Zorro, and Brenda almost burst out laughing. Seeing him in a hat and cape was really amusing to her somehow, Flynn was always in a suit, dressed to the nines. Zorro was an entirely different story.

"My, my, well don't you just look dashing in your costume?" she teased him.

"Your one to speak, Miss Teenybopper. I haven't seen a skirt like that in years!" Flynn joked back.

"What, you don't like my poodle?" Brenda held out the bottom of her dress, hoping for a reaction.

"I'd rather not answer that, if you don't mind. Shall we go?" Flynn proffered his arm to her, and she took it.

Brenda smiled, actually already having a bit of fun with the evening. She liked keeping her personal life quiet, and was relieved that her team believed Fritz to be working. She turned to lock the door, following Flynn to his car, and was mildly surprised when he opened the door for her. She thanked him and slipped into the car, ready to go.

It didn't take long for them to reach the party, valeting the car and walking into the hotel. Again, he offered his arm to her, and she took it. He was being so gentlemanly, she almost couldn't believe this was Flynn. They went into the party, making the rounds, Brenda saying hello to Delk, before they headed to the table that the team was seated at. Provenza apparently had a date with a woman half his age, who was surprisingly all over him at the table. Provenza was a gangster type, his date dressed up in a flapper's costume. Gabriel was a vampire, while Sanchez was a very handsome cowboy, in a duster coat and a cowboy hat. Tao and his wife made quite a pair as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. Brenda shook her head, the image of Tao in tights would haunt her for awhile. They took their seats at the table, and a waitress soon came around to get their drinks.

Brenda stared around the room, wondering who had made it to this party. She seen Will dancing with Sharon Raydor and had to do a doubletake. She wondered if they were there together, or just dancing with one another, but she had a feeling it was the former. The way that Will's hands were on Raydor seemed to imply that this was more than just a dance between colleagues, that something was going on there. Brenda looked down at the table, thinking that she missed dancing with Fritz like that. When he'd left, it had been after a blowout fight, one that seemed to explode in her face. He'd slammed the door as he left, and that was the last time she'd seen him for a couple of days. When he'd returned, he told her he wanted a separation, that she could choose the job or him. Brenda had tried, she really had, but when it came down to it, she chose the job. He'd left, and at the moment, they appeared to be heading towards divorce, they hadn't been able to work things through as of yet.

This was part of the reason she hadn't told her colleagues yet. The potential for a reunion was still there, so she believed. Still, looking at Will and Sharon, she felt wistful, wondering if she'd ever have that moment where you were dancing with someone, knowing that it was a prelude to something else. From the looks of them, they were much closer than she'd ever suspected.

Rather than waiting any longer for the drinks, Sanchez asked the Chief to dance and she went out on the dance floor with him. Provenza and his date and Tao and his wife joined them, leaving Gabriel and Flynn behind to talk. Both were sitting there when Flynn happened to glance at the entrance, and was shocked to see Brenda's husband Fritz enter the party. With another woman. He was dressed as a pilot, and his date was a flight attendant. Flynn and Gabriel looked at one another, back to Fritz and then to Brenda on the dance floor. Both men were shocked, was it possible that Fritz was cheating on his wife?

"What the hell? Chief said he was working tonight, that's why she asked me to pick her up? Could he really be cheating on her?" Flynn said.

"I don't know, but one of us has to go and tell her. Flip a coin with me." Gabriel said.

Flynn fished a quarter out, Gabriel called heads and it ended up being tails. Flynn stood up, going to break in on Sanchez and the Chief dancing.

"May I cut in?" Flynn asked the duo on the dance floor. Brenda smiled at him and switched partners, thanking Julio for dancing with her. Flynn and her danced for a minute before Flynn figured he might as well get it over with.

"Uh, Chief, didn't you say your husband was working tonight?" he asked hesitantly.

"Why, yes, Lt., I did." Brenda was confused as to why Flynn had brought that up.

"Um, I hate to break it to you, Chief, he just walked in the door a few minutes ago. With another woman." Flynn grimaced.

Brenda looked at Flynn, then scanned the room for her estranged husband. _How dare he!, _she thought to herself. This was a dance for her work, not his. And to bring a date with him? How tacky! Caught in a white lie, Brenda didn't know what to do. If she professed not knowing why he was there with another woman, she'd be caught in a lie. But she really hated bringing her personal life out in the open, especially with her coworkers.

"Agent Howard and I are in the midst of a separation. However, I had no idea we were at the stage where we'd be seeing other people. Apparently he's moving on quicker than I am." Brenda replied, saddened by both seeing her husband with someone else and having to admit anything of a personal nature. "Listen, Lt., I think I need some air. I'm going out to the gardens. I'll be back later."

Brenda went to leave, and Flynn stood there, conflicted. He thought she needed a friendly ear, some company. So, he made the snap decision to accompany her outside, following her path through the crowd towards the balcony doors.

"Wait, Chief, I'll go with you." Flynn said, moving faster.

Brenda turned and looked as if she was going to protest, before she simply nodded in acceptance. He held the door open for her, and they walked out into the cool night air.

"How long has he been gone?" Andy asked her out of curiosity.

"Almost three months now. After that last case where the FBI and I came to big blows. Him being the liaison was suppose to make things easier for us. We worked together, seen each other more often. Instead, we just ended up fighting all the time. It really wasn't anything new, you know? But this got under his skin, and we had a big fight about it. Long story short, he doesn't like that my job takes precedence for me over his job. He got territorial, told me to choose between him and the job. I made the wrong choice." Brenda stared up at the moon, the wind making her shiver a little.

"Chief, he's known you for years. Why would one fight make him want you to choose?" Flynn asked.

"I don't know, Lt. I've thought about it, but I can't come up with the answer. All I know is, I'm not sure my marriage can be fixed, and now I'm even less sure. One thing, Lt., do you think we could keep this between us, what I've told you?" Brenda's tone had a pleading in it.

"Well, Gabriel seen Agent Howard come in with the other woman too. And he's probably told the others by now. You should at least say something, put an end to the speculation."

Brenda groaned. She knew coming to this party had been a bad idea. "You know what, Lt.? I need a drink. I wonder if my Merlot is at the table yet." Brenda whirled around, heading back in, refusing to hide any longer. If anyone had questions about her husband, she'd answer them. But first she needed a drink.

Flynn trailed along behind her again. This woman could switch at the drop of a hat. She reached the table in record time, sitting down, relieved that her Merlot was there. She quickly took a drink of it, almost gulping it down. The waitress just happened to be walking by, and Brenda reached out, grabbing her arm, asking for another glass of Merlot. She was going to need it.

Brenda looked at her team, seeing the questions in their eyes. Deciding to just get it over with, she confirmed that Fritz and her had split, not giving any details on it. She didn't want to talk about it. Needing to get away from the sympathetic looks in their eyes, she grabbed Flynn's arm and dragged him out on the dance floor again. She was going to have a good time in spite of herself.

It was a slow song, and the two found themselves dancing in sync. Flynn kept his distance, after all, this was the Chief. Brenda kept an eye on Fritz and whoever that woman he was with. She caught his eye, and he broke the look first, looking down at the floor. Brenda turned in the opposite direction of him, keeping in step with Flynn. Her anger grew, however.

After the dance, she headed to the table, finishing off the first glass of Merlot and starting in on the second that had arrived while she danced. Combined with an empty stomach and the quick intake of alcohol, Brenda found herself with the need to say something to Fritz. She marched across the room to where he was standing with his date, grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the room. He followed, not protesting, at least yet, and the first empty room Brenda found, she entered it and closed the door behind her.

"What did you bring a date to this thing for? I hadn't even told my team we're separated, let alone the department! Now everyone knows!" Brenda said to him.

"Look, Brenda, it's not my fault you haven't told your team. You've had plenty of time. If you weren't obsessed with keeping everything secret all the time, you wouldn't have this problem!" Fritz said back to her.

"It's none of their business! Besides, you never answered me as to why you brought a date. This is an LAPD party, not an FBI one!" Brenda said angrily.

"She works for the LAPD and asked me. It's Emily Murray, she's in the Chief's office. She asked me out, I saw no reason not to come. I didn't think you would, God knows you could never make time to go to anything when we were together." he said bitterly.

"I had to come! It was in my best interest to show up tonight. It's not the same as for you. You didn't have to come here!" Brenda replied.

"Look, I'm not arguing anymore. I'm going back out there, I'm going to have a good time. You should try that, Brenda. You should also try trusting that team of yours, since you'd rather be around them than me. Now, I'm done. Have a good night." Fritz walked out, slamming the door.

Brenda stood there, stunned. Fine, he thought she should have a good time? She'd do just that. She whirled around, opened the door, and slammed it on her way out. She marched back to her table, but not before stopping at the bar and grabbing another Merlot. It was going to be a long evening. She started on this glass, and it started to get to her. She rarely drank more than two glasses of Merlot, but this, she had no idea how many she'd had, helped to make everything funny to her.

Men took the fact that her husband was with another woman as a chance to hit on her, and she danced alot. Flynn cooled his heels, making sure she was okay, the occasional one getting a little hands on with her. She managed to get away from those ones, however, only slapping a couple of them. Invariably she would drag Flynn back out on the dance floor to escape them. When he was around, they kept their distance. Brenda was determined to have fun, but the alcohol affected her balance. She spent more time falling against Flynn than dancing, and he decided they could use some air, so he escorted her to the balcony. Helping her down the stairs, they wandered out into the gardens of the hotel once again.

"Why did you bring me out here, Lt.? I was having fun dancing!" Brenda protested.

"Chief, it's not for me to say, but I think you've had a little too much Merlot tonight. I brought you out here to clear your head. Don't let your husband showing up here with someone else screw up your reputation in the department."

"People hate me anyway. It probably would give them a lot of pleasure to see me fall on my face." Brenda replied.

"Not as much as you think. People respect you because you get the job done. Yes, your personal touch leaves a little to be desired, but you have come a long way in seven years. Hell, you know what I was like when you got here, and now, I couldn't imagine you not being around." Flynn was open and honest.

They wandered the grounds, Brenda holding on to Flynn's arm tightly, she was still feeling wobbly. "I don't even know why I came here tonight. I'm not a party person. Delk made everyone show up here. I should have just begged off. I'm making an idiot of myself."

"I got you out of there before you made too big a fool of yourself. Somebody has to look out for you, might as well be me." Flynn drawled.

"You do look out for me, now don't you, Lt. I appreciate that. You know, you've really become a good friend. Are you sure you wouldn't like to see me embarrass myself? I know how much you used to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Chief. I haven't hated you in a very long time. Now, I've never been sure if you didn't still hate me. You got such pleasure out of seeing that one suspect slap me that time, you enjoyed it a little too much."

"I don't hate you, either, Lt. In fact, I've grown to respect your opinion on a lot of things. Mind you, you're still a little rough around the edges on some things, but I have to say, you've changed since I first met you. Although, Fritz kept saying I hang around Provenza and you too much, that I was becoming too much like y'all." This caused Brenda to laugh.

"What, that's such a bad thing?" Flynn pretended to be insulted.

"No, hanging with you two isn't such a bad thing. Becoming like you two, well that just might be the problem." Brenda stopped, looking at Flynn in a strange way. She'd never noticed how attractive he was before. She shook her head, it must be the Merlot talking.

"I want to go home, Lt. Would you mind leaving this little shindig? I've had enough for one evening." Brenda changed the subject.

"I'll take you home, Chief. It's not a problem." As they were walking, Brenda stumbled, and Flynn caught her, holding her up. Being close to him caused Brenda to shiver. What was wrong with her?, she wondered. This was Flynn. It must be the Merlot.

"Thank you, Lt. I appreciate it very much."

He escorted her back to the ballroom, making sure she was steady on her feet, staying close to her when he thought she was going to fall. She made her goodbyes to her team, finished off the glass of Merlot that was there, and allowed herself to be lead out of the party by Flynn. She was relieved when she was safely ensconced in the front seat of his car, glad the evening was at an end. Between the wine and the steady movement of the vehicle, Brenda promptly passed out.

Flynn glanced at her, realizing she was awfully quiet. Seeing her asleep, he sighed. Sleeping, without the worry of everything, she looked so young. He hated to admit to himself, but he'd had a thing for her for awhile. Learning that she wasn't with her husband anymore gave him a little hope, but not much. He wasn't what you would call a catch, not by her standards, he didn't think. He didn't have a high paying job, a fancy car. He just had a job he was good at, and dedication to it. Besides, he doubted that she'd ever be interested in, just because of their history together.

He pulled up in front of her place shortly. Trying to awaken her, he failed to succeed, so dug into her clutch, looking for the apartment key. He went to the door and opened it, then returned to the car. He tried waking her again, and got some response, at least to get her out of the car. On their way to the front door, she passed out again, and he found himself hoisting her up and over his shoulder. She didn't really weigh all that much, it was just awkward. He finally got her inside, and went to put her on the couch. As he placed her as gently as he could, she came to again.

"Do you hate me, Lt.?" she asked him.

Flynn found himself extremely close to her, and was feeling very nervous. "I don't hate you, Chief."

"I don't hate you either. In fact, I really like you." Brenda suddenly reached up and kissed him. It was a long, lingering kiss, and he responded to it, enjoying the feel of her soft lips on his. He could taste the Merlot, and all he could think of was how wonderful it felt. Then she fell back against the couch pillows, passed out again, leaving Flynn stunned.

_What the hell just happened?_, he asked himself. He looked at Brenda passed out, wondering what to do. Was it the drink talking? Did she feel anything for him at all? This was bad, very bad. One kiss had opened up a world of opportunities to him, and he found himself disappointed she was passed out and this just might be the drink talking.

He got up, going to search her house for a blanket, thinking he'd leave her on the couch to sleep this off. He had a feeling the hangover was going to be tough on her, that she really didn't drink like this all that often. Finding one, he went to where she slept, took her shoes off and then tucked her in with the blanket. He penned a quick note, leaving it on the coffee table,alongside a bottle of water and two asprin. Then he let himself out and locked up. He wondered what he'd done to deserve such a trick on Halloween.


	2. Chapter 2

Brenda woke up the next morning, her head pounding. She groaned, the dim light seemed to hurt her eyes, making her headache worse. She wondered where she was, finally focusing on the fact that she lay on her couch. She had no idea how she got there. She seemed to remember leaving the party with Flynn, but the rest was hazy. She promised herself she'd never drink that much Merlot again. It had never hit her that hard before.

Slowly, she sat up, seeing a bottle of water and two asprin sitting there, alongside a note. She tried to focus, but her brain wasn't cooperating with anything at this moment. She grabbed the water, downed the asprin and then sat back. _How did I get in here?_, she wondered. Finally, the throbbing in her head died down enough so that she could read the note that someone had left behind.

"Chief, you're going to need the asprin in the morning. It's been a long time since I had a hangover, but I found it best to keep it simple as to remedies. Sorry I left you on the couch, I had a hard time getting you in the door and that's where you ended up. If you remember anything from last night, or want to talk let me know, I'll come back over. Don't worry, I think I got you out of the party before there was any lasting damage to your rep. Flynn."

Brenda's mind geared up, wondering what damage to her rep she might have inflicted at the party. What did I do last night? God, now she was going to have to phone Flynn to come back over and tell her exactly what happened. She recalled dancing with him, walking in the gardens with him. Oh, and having a fight with Fritz at the party. After that, things became hazy. She finally felt well enough to stand up, and she headed for the bathroom. She shed her costume, turned on the shower and stepped under the hot needles of spray. She definitely needed this. Finished, she pulled on her robe, and picked up the phone to call Flynn.

"Hi, Lt. Flynn. It's Chief Johnson." Brenda said nervously.

"Hi, Chief. How are you feeling?" Andy asked.

"Um, I'm not in the best shape right now, but not as bad as when I woke up. Listen, I read your note, and I would appreciate if you could tell me what happened last night."

"Sure, Chief. Why don't I come over. I'll bring you some coffee if you want."

Brenda was unsure why he felt the need to come back over, but agreed to it. Lucky for her, it was the weekend, so it wouldn't affect her work, but she still felt crummy nonetheless. Knowing that he was coming over, she got dressed, in yoga pants and a henley top, very casual and comfortable. She flopped back on the couch, dozing off until she heard the doorbell ring. She got up to answer it, opening the door for Flynn who stood there with two coffees and a box of donuts.

"Hey, Chief, wasn't sure what you might like, there's a selection here." He handed her the box, coming in and putting the coffees down on the table. He shrugged off his jacket and took a seat on the couch. Brenda sat down beside him, opening the box up. She chose one and passed the box to him. He grabbed one out and settled in.

"Okay, Lt., spill. What did I do last night? How badly did I embarrass myself?" Brenda just wanted to know.

"Well, you were a little unsteady on your feet and almost fell a few times. Your husband showed up with another woman and that caused a lot of talk. You had to deal with a lot of wandering hands last night. And I had to carry you into the house here, you couldn't walk. Do you remember anything that happened once we got in here?" he questioned her, wanting to know if she remembered kissing him, but judging from the way she acted around him, she didn't.

"Did I slap any of the handy ones?" a perturbed Brenda asked.

"A couple. They kept their distance after that." Flynn smiled, amused. "I got you out of their shortly after, you were having a bit of trouble keeping your balance. Didn't want your rep to get ruined."

"I highly doubt I have much a good reputation anyway, Lt. I'm not exactly the most popular person in the LAPD. I bet it highly amused them to see me acting whatever way I was acting." Brenda was pissy.

"Well, that's why I got you out of there. It was for the best. Listen, Chief, do you remember anything after we left the hotel? Anything at all?" Flynn wanted to know if she had any inkling that she'd kissed him.

"Sorry, Lt., I don't even know how I got in the house. Thanks for covering me with a blanket, though. That was very sweet of you." She thought about last night, trying hard to remember anything. She smelled a hint of Flynn's aftershave and her mind drifted to when she'd been dancing with him. And something else came to her mind also. The realization suddenly struck her. She'd kissed Flynn. She looked at him in shock.

"I kissed you! My God, I'm so sorry, Lt.! I had no business doing that. None whatsoever!" Brenda jumped up from the couch, worried about what she'd done. She turned beet red and headed to her bathroom, where she locked herself in.

Flynn followed her, sorry that he'd upset her by making her remember. He talked to the bathroom door.

"Chief, listen, it's okay, it really is. I just wanted you to know, I liked it. I really did. There is no reason to be embarrassed, really. We're both adults here."

"Lt., you work for me. I kissed you totally out of the blue, taking advantage of your kindness. I have no excuse, except for the Merlot." Brenda fretted behind the door, sitting on the floor with her head in her hands.

"Chief, Brenda, believe me, you didn't take advantage of me. And I really want to know if you'd like it to happen again." he said, hoping to get a response he'd like. All last night, after he'd left here, he'd thought of the kiss, of her, of a possible relationship with her.

"Oh, Lt., I have no idea. I'm still dealing with whatever it is with Fritz. I had no idea he'd moved on like that. I don't know if I'm ready to even think about that." Brenda said.

Flynn slid down the door and sat, they were actually back to back through the door. He felt defeated when she said that.

When silence was the answer, Brenda worried she'd hurt his feelings. "Look, Lt., give me some time, okay? In a couple of months, I'll have my head screwed on straight, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be ready. Right now, I don't know. Anything we do, I'm afraid it would just be a reaction to seeing Fritz with another woman. And I don't want to hurt you. I like you."

"That's what you said last night, before you kissed me. That you like me. I just wanted to know if it's true."

Brenda took a deep breath. She'd had feelings for Flynn for a bit, nothing serious, just that he seemed to get her in a way that Fritz hadn't, even Pope hadn't. But she'd always just thought it was friendship. The Merlot had taken away her inhibitions on Halloween, and her mind hadn't been able to rationalize it away.

"It's true. I just don't want to ruin anything between us. Just give me some time, okay?" Brenda pleaded.

"I'll give you some time, Chief. I just wanted to know if I have a place in your life, outside the office." Flynn hated sounding pathetic, but he knew that if she didn't have to do something, Brenda wouldn't.

Brenda stood up and opened the door, and he almost fell in backwards. She smiled and helped him up off the floor. "You have a place in my life, Lt. I think you always will, somehow. Let's just take this one day at a time, shall we?"

Flynn looked at her, returning her smile. "Just one thing, Chief. I just really have to do this."

He took her face in his hands and kissed her, sweetly and gently. Brenda couldn't help but return the kiss. Wrapping her fingers through his hair, they stood there like that for several minutes before they broke apart.

Embarrassed, they looked at anything but each other before they spoke. "Give me some time to figure things out, and I think we could maybe go forward with this. If you'll give me some time." Brenda spoke.

"As long as you give me a chance, that's all I ask." Flynn agreed to her terms.

"I'll give you a chance, Lt. And this time, it's not the Merlot talking." Brenda smiled at him, feeling a happiness starting within her. And just to prove to him that it wasn't the Merlot, she kissed him again.


End file.
